Raymond II of Tripoli

Raymond II, Count of Tripoli (1115-1152) was Count of Tripoli from 1137 to 1152, succeeding Pons of Tripoli and preceding Raymond III of Tripoli.

Biography
Raymond was born in 1115, the son of Pons of Tripoli and Cecile of France. He married Baldwin II of Jerusalem's daughter Hodierna of Rethel, and he succeeded to the County of Tripoli when his father was killed in battle with the Beylerbeylik of Damascus in 1137; Raymond was present at the battle, and he tortured many captured Syrian Christians to death due to his belief that they had betrayed the crusaders to the Saracens. He won the affection of the Latin Christians as a result of his cruelty against the Arabs. Raymond was captured by Zengi at Barin later that year, and he was released in exchange for the surrender of the castle. In 1142, Raymond gave the Krak des Chevaliers to the Knights Hospitaller, establishing them as a military order in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and gaining the support of more warriors against the Saracens. When his relative Alfonso Jordan of Toulouse was killed, probably poisoned by Melisende of Jerusalem, Raymond withdrew his support from the Second Crusade, leading to the diastrous end to the crusade at Damascus in 1148. In 1152, Raymond and two of his knights were murdered by the Hashshashin outside of Tripoli, and his son Raymond III of Tripoli succeeded him.